Kalahari Tented Camp: Our full report

Kalahari Tented Camp, on the western border of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, is an excellent camp in a good location within the national park. Similar to both Bitterpan Wilderness Camp and Grootkolk Wilderness Camp, Kalahari Tented Camp offers a more typical safari experience.

The first of the wilderness camps within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, it was so popular that the park authorities commissioned five further camps, all in a similar mould. However, Kalahari Tented Camp remains just a little bit more luxurious than the other camps, with the rooms having ceiling fans and also with a small pool on site.

With 10 two-bed desert tents, the accommodation is basic, but comfortable. There is no restaurant but if you come well prepared, the self-catering can be a lot of fun. Each tents has it's own small kitchen which is well stocked with standard cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery as well as barbeque facilities outside. The chalets come with bedding and towels, but bring some of your own linen too; especially if you're travelling with younger children. You also need to arrive with water and firewood, although there is a shop for essentials at Twee Rivieren, beside the park's entrance.

It is important to note that the camp is completely open to the wilderness, with the animals drawn towards the watering hole and through the camp. There is a 'tourism assistant' on duty at all times at the camp, but often no other staff.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park have some superb wildlife and the Kalahari Tented Camp is a great base from which to explore it. The national park can offer visitors who put energy and time into their game-viewing superb opportunities for viewing cheetah and also meerkats. With an abundance of all types of flora and fauna, you're also highly likely to see numbers of gemsbok, wildebeest and springbok here. Black-maned male lions rule the prices, and there's also the occasional leopard sighted within the park.

(The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was originally two separate parks on either side of the border: the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park was one of South Africa's national parks, while the Gemsbok National Park, a somewhat larger and more isolated section of the Kalahari was in Botswana. However, combining the two has not only opened up the park to more people, but has helped in the conservation with a unified park authority, allowing the park to flourish).

Kalahari Tented Camp is located fairly centrally within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park; see our Map of the Kgalagadi.

Geographics

Ideal length of stay: To be fully appreciated, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park needs at least a 4 night stay. 5-7 nights, is more sufficient, incorporating a variety of the camps, such as Kalahari Tented Camp, Bitterpan Camp and Grootkolk. Perhaps even one of the restcamps: Mata Mata, Nossob or
Twee Rivieren.

Accessible by: Self-drive

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Room Only

Further dining info: No

Special interests

Family holidays: For economic family safari holidays on a self-catering and self-driving basis, consider Kalahari Tented Camp in South Africa. It has four family desert tents and bunk beds available. Based in a great game park, you can enjoy excellent views over a waterhole here.

We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.